FATTY FOOD

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Millions of people are putting themselves at risk of heart disease and cancer with obsessive diets. Doctors warned that continued calorie counting was a health time-bomb. Cutting out nutrient-rich foods in a misguided attempt to lose weight could have “alarming” long-term consequences. And with an estimated 12million Britons currently on diets it could prove devastating for the nation’s health, placing massive burdens on the NHS. It has long been known that an unhealthy diet can lead to a host of deadly conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer.

But a low-fat diet that lacks vital vitamins and minerals can also lead to long-term ­problems. A report found that many Britons have a dangerous attitude to food, being concerned mainly with cutting their intake of fat and calories rather than thinking about what they need to eat to stay healthy. Experts are now calling on people to “re-learn” what good nutrition tastes like in a bid to stave off health problems for future generations.

Dietician Dr Frankie Phillips, said, “It would seem that despite all the recent education campaigns on healthy eating, the reality is our daily diets are still out of balance nutritionally at times, resulting in deficiencies in certain areas for some people. Whether this is because we are obsessed with counting calories, are struggling to afford to eat healthily or lack the time to think about what we are eating, if we continue in this way, it will seriously impact on our health both in the short term and in the future.”

The Seven Seas Nutrition Aware report, developed by nutrition experts and the Future Foundation think-tank, reveals that the modern obsession with dieting and weight loss is taking priority over healthy eating. Nearly four in 10 people do not eat fruit and vegetables every day and only 26% of Britons look for specific nutrients in their food. More than a fifth of us claim to have started a diet at least once a month in the past year. Some 23% admit they buy their evening meal based on its low calorie count alone, irrelevant of whether it is nutritionally balanced.

At the other extreme, those who binge on sweets and junk food are also a cause for concern. The survey of 2,000 people found that nearly two-thirds eat sweets and chocolates once a week, with a third admitting they have them at least three or four times a week. More than half admit they regularly buy foods they know are not good for them, with 38% lured by price offers. Dr Phillips, who contributed to the report, said, “While appropriate calorie and fat consumption is important, too much focus on this could be detrimental to adequate vitamin and mineral intake, which could lead to health issues in the future.”

Nutritionist Emma Derbyshire, of Manchester Metropolitan University who also contributed to the report, said, “It would seem that we are still struggling to grasp the concept of ‘good nutrition’ and the reason why we eat food in the first place. Though it is important to acknowledge calorie intake it must not come at the expense of eating a balanced and varied diet, low in saturated fat but also rich in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Often processed, low-calorie food can contain high levels of sugar and additives and so may not be as healthy as people think.” (Source: Daily Express, Jul/11)

Cadbury Schweppes, the UK soft drinks and snacks giant, is the European food manufacturer most at risk of being sued by consumers claiming that its products contribute to obesity, according to a research report by JP Morgan. The maker of Jelly Babies, Dairy Milk chocolate, Dr Pepper and Slush Puppie, ranks second only to America's Hershey corporation in a league table compiled by the US investment bank of food producers exposed to obesity-related lawsuits.

Growing concerns that the food industry will go the same way as tobacco and face a barrage of crippling damages claims forced Kraft, the world's second-biggest food manufacturer, to announce earlier this week that it is cutting the amount of fat and sugar in its products and reducing the size of portions.

The JP Morgan research says that the rise in obesity to "epidemic" proportions, with more than 1 billion of the world's population overweight, poses a serious threat to the food industry. It increases the risk that advertising, labelling, and distribution will be more tightly regulated and it will force manufacturers to overhaul their marketing practices and spend more on consumer education and research. "This is not good news for volume growth or margins," says the study.

Two lawsuits have been filed against McDonald's since summer last year claiming its products contributed to obesity and although the first case was dismissed, the second is still ongoing. JP Morgan's London-based analyst Arnaud Langlois said, "We believe one thing is certain, well capitalised law firms with a wealth of experience in tort action lawsuits in tobacco and asbestos will continue to target the deep pockets of the food companies."

The research lists Hershey, the US manufacturer of the eponymous chocolate bar, as most exposed to the obesity risk, followed by Cadbury, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Kraft, which is owned by Philip Morris. Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch food giant behind brands such as Pot Noodle and Findus beefburgers, ranks 11th.

JP Morgan says 88% of Cadbury's group sales fall into the category of "not so healthy" food compared with 95% for Hershey and 23% for Unilever. "Among the European food players, Cadbury is most exposed to obesity concerns. This is the result of its large soft drinks, sugar and chocolate confectionery business," says the research.

However, it says some food companies could benefit by being seen as a "hedge" against obesity because of the perceived healthiness of their products. The research lists the French yoghurt manufacturer Danone top of the league, with 80% of its food products classed as "healthy". Unilever ranks 10th in this list with 61% of its food range deemed to be in the "healthy category".

The number of obese people in the world has risen by 50% in the past seven years and globally there are estimated to be 300 million obese adults. In the US, 30% of adults are obese while in Europe, 135 million people are affected by obesity. A battle is raging between the food lobby and health experts as to whether the cause is increased consumption of unhealthy foods or lack of exercise.

A spokeswoman for Cadbury's said, "We regard obesity as a very important social issue and we are working with the Government and the World Health Organisation to develop ways to tackle it. One of the main causes seems to be lack of exercise whereas calorific consumption levels are dropping in the UK." (Source: The Independent)

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